Machine for attaching metallic terminals to metallic wire



March 1953 R. MARTINES MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METALLIC TERMINALS TO METALLIC WIRE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1. 1948 INVENTOR. fie we .l'fa'r/zf/fas A T ToRNe/s";

March 10, 1

-F32 MARTINES MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METALLIC TERMINALS T0 METALLIC WIRE 3 e -Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 1, 1948 1 6 e Maria/76$ ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METALLIC TERMINALS TO METALLIC WIRE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for securing a metallic terminal on the end of metallic wire, which terminals may be used for making a connection of the wire to some contact for the transmission of electrical energy.

Heretofore, terminals have been formed either separately and attached to a metallic wire either by bending the stock of the terminal into a binding engagement with the wire or by soldering. In some cases Where there has been an attachment of the terminal to the wire by bending into engagement with the wire and soldering was also desired, the soldering occurred as a separate and additional step.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus in which a strip of terminals connected together may be fed into the apparatus to have the wires attached to the terminals in the apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for attaching terminals to a wire in such a manner that a holding engagement will be provided by tightly bending the terminal into engagement with the wire to form a mechanical grip and simultaneously soldering to provide a better electrical connection between the wire and its terminal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strip of terminals which may be fed into a crimping and soldering position where the wire may be attached by placing the same in the desired position and then tripping a lever to cause the bending and soldering to take place, and at the same time severing the one or more terminals which are attached to the wire from the strip and from each other if more than one terminal is attached.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for handling the terminals so that a person who operates the apparatus for attaching the terminal need not touch the terminal.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by which the attachment of terminals may be materially speeded up.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which a package of spirally wound terminals may be loaded and fed to a pos1- tion in which attachment to a wire may occur each time a foot pedal or other manual actuating device is actuated.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the feeding mechanism in greater detail than shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a fragmental portion of the machine also showing the feeding and bending and soldering mechanism on a larger scale;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of details shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a plurality of terminal units attached together in strip form at the point of severing of the units from the strip and showing the wires as located in the units;

Figure 7 is an end view of the two terminals being closed upon a wire as shown in Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a pair of terminals attached to a pair of wires;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating a modified form of the machine;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a terminal such as utilized in the machine shown in Figure 9 as attached to the end of a wire;

Figure 11 is a strip of terminals such as utilized in the machine of Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a sectional view on substantially line I2-'l2 of Figure 9 looking down on the machine;

Figure 13 shows a sectional view through the terminal as attached to the wire on substantially line I3l3 of Figure 10; and

Figure 14 is a plan view of a plurality of wires having solder attached to their ends prior to being positioned in the terminal for crimping and soldering.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide a pair of members which will move relatively toward each other to engage the arms of one or more terminals and bend these arms about the wire upon which the terminal is to be mounted. Some solder will be provided either by attachment to the terminal or to the wire to be present at the time of this bending and binding of the terminal on the wire. Within one or both of the members some sort of heating means will be provided so that as the members come together and dwell for a certain length of time, solder which is present will be melted simultaneously with the binding of the wire so that a soldered as well as a mechanical joint will be formed. For convenience in operation, a lever is provided for causing the relative movement of the members, and as the With reference to the drawings, I9 designate the framework of a machine supported b'yl'eg's II which will have an anvil block I2 supported there-' on. This block will be recessed as at I3 (see Figure '7) to provide a shearing edge'for a cutter for severing the terminals from the strip. Some 1 electrical heating means It will be formed in this block for causing the same to rise to the desired temperature for melting solder which is present on the wire or the terminalto be secured to the wire; A thermostat I5 will control electric-resistance circuit i5 for maintaining the desired temperature of the block which is a function of the dwell time of the die member 25. A second platform I8 is also provided with a heating means I1 for preheating the terminals as they are adtamed into working position. A' circuit 55 also thermostatically controlled is provided for control o'fthe heat therein.

A trough or guide I9 serves to direct thestrip oftermina'ls designated generally and shown in greater detail in Figure 6 along the guideway I9 to working position on the block I2. These strips may be suitably packaged upon a reel in spiral form, which reelis supported by a bracket 22 from the frame IQ of the machine. A member 25 in the form of a die serves to cooperate with the block I2 and is shaped as perhaps better shownin Figure 7 with recesses 26 and 21 so as to engage the arms of the terfninal and bend these toward each other tightly into engagement with the wire as the member 25 descends, this member 25 attached to the plunger which is guided as at 28 and 29 in its vertical the conduit 39 controlled by valve it and which may be actuated by lever 4i and control rod 42 which may extend to a position for either hand or foot operation.

7 Feeding mechanism designated generally 45 for the strip of terminals 29 comprises a bracket 46' in which a generally s-shaped lever 41 is pivoted as at 48 to have one arm '49 with roller 56 engaging a-pin- 5I projecting from the plunger 30, whilethe arm 52 at the other end of this lever 41" mounts a pawl 53. A- spring 54 tends to swing the'pawl 53 downwardly as shown in Figure 5. A spring 58 tends to swing the lever 41 about its pivot 48 so as'to cause engagement of the roll 50 with the pin 5I. A screw 51 serves as an abutment for the lever 41 to limit its swinging movement. A check nut 58 holds this screw 51 in position. As the plunger 30 moves upwardly, the pawl 53 will move another set of terminals into position beneath the member 25, the amount of stroke being adjusted by the stop 51. In order that the pawl may drag over the terminals without sliding them rearwardly, a second pawl 60 pivoted as at BI and held in engagement with the terminals by a spring 62.

The terminals which are fed forward are in this particular instance designed for a plug for a base socket (see Figure 6) and comprises blades 65 with shanks 66 having pairs of arms 61 and 68 extending upwardly therefrom. The wires to be attached are usually in pairs and will be spread apart as at 69 and 10 (see Figure 6) so that these wires may be positioned in a pair of contiguous terminals which are at the end of the strip 20. These terminals will have some solder present between the arms, or the wires will have some solder on their ends. The terminals when in the position beneath the member 25' are ready for the member 25 to descend upon them and bend the arms 68 about the wires for attachment thereto. At the same time the heat which is present as at I4 will serve to melt the solder and cause a soldered as well as a mechanically-connected joint. However, the terminals only dwell at this station for a. time-sufficient to melt the solder and not scorch the insulation.

In some cases instead of the apparatus being arranged for taking terminals which are in parallel relation, the terminals may be in tandem relation as designated at 15 in Figure 1-1. This requires a narrow guideway such as I9 for these terminals and an entrance for the wire at the end of the machine. The machine may be other--' wise somewhat modified as shown in Figure 9 where a table 16 is provided over which the strip of terminals 15 may be advanced into'a position above a block 11 beneath the folding member 18. In this case the folding member is mounted upon a plunger 19 having a heating element 89 therein slidable in the guideways 8I and 82. Severing may occur by reason of a knife 83 which passes through the openings 84 in the table 15. The feeding of the terminals is by means of a pin 85" extending from the plunger 19 and en gaging the arm 86 having roller 81 of the lever 88' pivoted as at 89 and swung clockwise about the pivot by spring 99. A pawl 9| pivoted as at 92 on the end of the arm 88 engages the strip of terminals 15 to feed them forward each time the plunger moves upwardly. I The plunger is moved upwardly by 'spring 93 beneathth'e piston 94 while there is an air cham ber 95 for the receiving of air through conduit 96 controlled by valve 91 with lever 98 and actuat ing rod 99 which may extend to be actuated either by'hand or by foot; The terminals in this case each comprise a head I and two sets of arms IOI and I92. Solder may be carried between these arms, if so desired. A neck I83 connects the head at one end with the shank of another unit, which neck is severed by the cutter 83- as the bending orcrimping of the arms about the wire and soldering occurs.

As the'link 99 and valve 91 are actuated; the plunger will descend and bend-the arms about the Wire end I55 and its insulation W6, and this die will dwell or stay in contact with the ter minals a sufiicient length of time to transmit heat enough to the terminal to melt the solder therein but not scorch the insulation I05 and provide a soldered connection, as well as a crimp connection of the terminal on the wire. The block 11 may also have a projection which extends upwardly so as to indent the bent portion around the terminal as at I08, as shown in Figure 1-3.

In some cases the'solder may be attached to 5 the ends of the wire before inserting in the terminal as I09 shown in Figure 14, in which case this may be by dipping the plurality of endsl| which are assembled in a conduit III. In order that there may be no sliding rearwardly of the strip terminals, an arm I I2 is provided, pivoted as at H3 and swung downwardly into firm engagement with the terminals by spring H4 where its roller H5 engages these terminals in strip form.

I claim:

1. A machine for attaching an electrical connector having two pairs of ears extending laterally from the body to an electrical conductor having a bare end and an insulating covering adjacent said end comprising a stationaryl die and a movable die, said dies being so shaped as to bend a first pair of ears of the electrical connector inwardly and around said bare end and the other pair inwardly and around the insulating covering, a platform adjacent to and on the same level as said stationary die, means for advancing a strip of electrical connectors toward said dies over said platform and means for heating one of said dies to a temperature sufficient to melt solder yet insuificient to cause scorching of the insulation, said means being thermostatically controlled as a function of time.

2. A machine as in claim 1 wherein means are provided to heat said platform ahead of said dies to raise the temperature of the connectors to less than that required to melt solder and wherein solder is between said first pair of ears.

3. A machine as in claim 1 wherein means are provided to sever an electrical connector from the strip as the dies move toward each other, said means comprising one or more knives attached to said movable die.

4. A machine for attaching electrical conductors having a bare end and an insulating covering adjacent said end to an electrical connector havin two pairs of ears extending laterally from the body comprising a stationary die and a mov- 6 able die, said dies being so shaped as to bend a first pair of ears of the electrical connector inwardly and around said bare end and the other pair inwardly and around the insulating covering, a platform immediately adjacent said stationary die and on a level therewith, said platform formed with means for guiding electrical connectors to said dies, a pawl for feeding said connectors to said dies, said pawl being responsive to the movement of said dies, and means for heating one of said dies to a temperature suflicient to melt solder.

5. A machine as in claim 4 wherein means are provided to heat said platform ahead of said dies to raise the temperature of the connectors to less than that required to melt solder and wherein solder is between said first pair of ears.

6. A machine as in claim 4 wherein means are provided to sever an electrical connector from a strip as the dies move toward each other, said means comprising one or more knives attached to said movable die.

RENE MARTINES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 834,467 Grafton Oct. 30, 1906 1,390,315 Van Ness Sept. 13, 1921 1,478,696 Boehme Dec. 25, 1923 1,687,574 Liss Oct. 16, 1928 1,836,500 Poole Dec. 15, 1931 1,873,125 Holmes Aug. 23, 1932 1,918,197 Sebell July 11, 1933 1,959,150 Basch May 15, 1934 1,976,929 Elliot Oct. 16, 1934 2,169,802 Keller Aug. 15, 1939 2,288,348 Funk June 30, 1942 2,288,918 Parker July 7, 1942 2,394,881 Stahlfauth Feb. 12, 1946 

